Access Your Learning!

Access Your Learning!

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework used by educators and employees to enhance learning and create an inclusive learning environment. The umbrella framework includes engagement, representation, action and expression. Because a typical classroom has diversity within students’ learning needs, it is important to incorporate differentiation techniques within the classroom when planning to accommodate students. In any quality delivery of a lesson, teachers must be responsive to the learners' needs. 

Currently, I have had the pleasure of working with students of all abilities. Many of the strategies and practices I implement are beneficial to all students. For example, in my district, we have a large population of ELL students, one way to cater to their needs is to implement the SIOP model for multilingual students. Providing paired picture vocabulary to add to our word wall, not only was beneficial to ELLs, but was also helpful to other students too. 

image source: Pearson- Always Learning

By far one of the best conferences I attended was by Rush University Medical Center on Executive Functioning. This conference was very helpful in meeting the needs of students who need assistance in using executive functioning skills in a classroom setting. Instructional practices targeted specific executive functions such as time management, following directions, organization, note taking, test prep, and goal setting. Although this targeted learning objective is helpful to neurodiverse students, it is also helpful to those who are not. 

image source: Brain Power Academy

Digital Accessibility

Digital accessibility refers to features that offer technology assistance for those who either have a disability or a preference for how they see, hear, use, and access their device. 

Neurodiversity Features

In researching accessibility features offered, aside from general accommodations such as larger print or a magnifier, virtual assistance, and speech to text, I stumbled upon neurodiversity features. Microsoft offers different features such as the ones listed below. 

Accessibility Tools for Neurodiversity offered by Microsoft:

Set up Windows to fit your needs Simplify the Start menu Clean up taskbar clutter Focus on a task by minimizing distractions Customize the taskbar	Improve reading comprehension and writing skills Enable text suggestions in Windows Download fluent fonts for easy reading Customize text spacing Use learning tools in OneNote Learn about Microsoft Translator Use Microsoft Editor to check grammar and more
Read without distractions and customize your reading experience Learn about Immersive Reader in Microsoft Edge Use Immersive Reader in Microsoft Edge Use Immersive Reader in Word Open Immersive Reader for Outlook Use Immersive Reader in PowerPoint Use Immersive Reader for OneNote Learn about Read aloud	Stay focused and organized Enhance your PowerPoint slides Never lose your work - Keep your Microsoft 365 files in OneDrive Organize things your way with the calendar board view Go paperless with Microsoft Lens Microsoft Lens for iOS Microsoft Lens for Android

These tools are not only helpful for me, but for students who struggle to stay focused. Vision, hearing, and other physical impairments tools can be beneficial to all students. 

Another feature or extension I like to use with all students including both ELLs, and students with disabilities is a program called Co-Writer. This program allows speech to text and it helps students who struggle with executive functioning skills within the area of thought organization. It helps students find the word with the word prediction feature.

CoWriter Screencast

Accessibility tools aren’t just for people with disabilities, these features can benefit anyone. Assistive technologies can come in all ranges from simple accessibility features on a computer to extensions that have technologies to help ease workloads, and I have not even gotten into AI!

Educational Technology Research & Statistics

 Educational Technology Research & Statistics

Image source: Edtopia

Reflective Practices

As John Dewy states “ We do not learn from experience, We learn from reflecting on experience.” Educators may argue that our job is half planning, preparation, and instuction, while the other half we reflect and analyze.  

The modern classroom consists of data-driven instruction. We present lessons and reflect on what worked, what didn’t work, and what we can do better next time. Making time for reflective practices is important. This circle of deliberation helps students grow and teachers refine their craft. 

Importance of Technology

Technology has become just as useful as a pencil in school. Teachers are finding ways to incorporate technology into engaging lessons. Furthermore, teachers are also finding resources within technology to meet the needs of 21st-century learners. 

Image source: Project Tomorrow Speak Up

It might not be surprising to most that teachers are seeking materials and resources to help improve their teaching and enhance their student learning. What is surprising is that this infographic displayed shows that just a little more than 50% of teachers are seeking information. Despite McCrindle research on how our students are a generation of “knowledge-seekers.”  I come from a heavy curriculum-based district. Our district spends months, and even years selecting a research-based curriculum to excel student learning and improve student growth…. However, as any good educator knows there are times when you need to supplement materials in order to meet the needs of diverse learners. This statistic surprises me because most of our staff is generally populated by Gen Z. These teachers have grown up with technology and have had more social outlet platforms than past generations by a landslide. From Instgram, TikTok, Facebook, PLNs, and more this population has always had access to ideas from across the globe. I would think that a greater percentage of teachers would be exploring more resources past their building or district. 

Using Technology

Image source: Project Tomorrow

Using technology in the classroom is a must in today’s day and age. We know that technology isn’t going anywhere and the skills needed to be proficient continue to rise.  The future stakeholders need to be able to analyze, create, and evaluate in order to continue the trajectory of the world. Although less than half of the teachers are participating in data driven instruction, the majority of teachers do not support student-led learning goals, use technology to differentiate instructors, or provide tools for students to collaborate across digital platforms. This is shocking! It makes me wonder if technology isn’t used to enhance learning goals, what are we using it for? Does this data reflect the digital divide? Is the use of a device a glorified word processor? Perhaps the new Enclopedia Brittanica? Does it serve as a portable gaming device? With digital tools available, how is this not best practice?

Watch, Play, Connect

It isn’t new news that the current and future generations spend a lot of time on devices. I myself have wondered if computer-based assignments were more harmful than helpful at times. I believe educators have to consider the focus of their lessons and see what kind of technology and medium is appropriate. We know students are outside of the classroom using their devices to watch videos, play games, and connect on social media.  Although students are spending time on devices at home, the purpose of technology use at school’s goal should be to learn. Watching videos, playing games, and connecting with classmates to collaborate are all different ways students engage with technology at school. Learning-based vs. entertainment based has two different purposes. 

As we reflect on our teaching and consider what is at stake, educators need to incorporate technology in a meaningful and purposeful way to establish the next generations of global citizens. 

Resources:

Kamal, J. (2020, August 11). Making time for reflective practice. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/making-time-reflective-practice/ 

Perceptions of gen alpha. McCrindle. (2024a, September 11). https://mccrindle.com.au/article/perceptions-of-gen-alpha/ 

SPEAK UP Data Findings - Project Tomorrow. Project Tomorrow - Preparing today’s students to be tomorrow’s innovators, leaders and engaged citizens. (2024, September 12). https://www.tomorrow.org/publications/speak-up-data-findings/ 

Spectrum enterprise overview. (n.d.). https://det.wi.gov/telecommunications/Shared%20Documents/SpectrumEnterprisePresentationforStateofWITelecomManagerMeeting11818.pdf 

Active Learning: Gallery Walks

                    Active Learning & Gallery Walks

Image source: Footwear News

Active Learning

Engagement is a key factor in active learning. The biggest benefit of active learning strategies is that students have the unique opportunity to fully emerge in their thoughts, actions, discussions, choices, investigations, creations, and problem-solving skills. The idea of active learning isn't new, rather it had the opportunity to evolve and adapt tothe needs of 21st-century learners. An old idea of what active learning was, consisted of teachers standing in front of a classroom of very obedient students and students learning by memorizing and reciting. As we become an evolving society, the way we teach also had to evolve to cater to 21st century learners.  Critical thinking skills are necessary in today’s world and most concepts that were thought needed to be memorized are now available at the tips of our fingers. 

The image above is a newer model of Bloom's Taxonomy Framework and we can see cognitive skills building off each other in this cake-like example.  Students who participate in active learning strategies are going to be more engaged in their learning and reach those levels of analysis and evaluation. 

Active Learning Strategy: Gallery Walk

A Gallery Walk is a great active learning strategy to use in a classroom, conference, or meeting. It is a student-centered strategy that allows students to interact with the topic and their peers. What I enjoy most about hosting Gallery Walks are that they get people up and out of their seat with a purpose. Different pieces (artifacts, student work, etc.) are displayed in the space for students to browse, discuss, analyze, and evaluate.  Teachers can facilitate Gallery Walks by setting a purpose for learning and discussing the norms during the activity. Is this a silent activity, or are you encouraged to share your thoughts? Determining space and time of your Gallery Walk will also allow will also help teachers with the tools to get started. Understanding the objective and sharing it with your class will help keep students engaged in the activity.  I encourage students to work together and discuss different artifacts or items within the Gallery Walk as one would do at an actual gallery. 

Hosting a Gallery Walk

You can host a Gallery walk in your classroom for a variety of reasons from voting on the next “Scholastic News” for reading, analyzing student work, or sharing ideas. Gallery Walks can also providing an engaging way to about Life Cycles, Indigenous People, or book characters from different perspectives.  Some teachers use Gallery Walks to contribute ideas to different concepts or related topics. I like to allow for students to take notes on clipboards so that we can come together as a group and discuss if their objective was met and self assess their learning throughout the process. Gallery Walk Response Prompts.

Gallery Walk Limitations to Consider

The only limitation on Gallery Walks would be how much space is available.  If you can manage to use a shared space or hallway, this might be a workable solution.  Spatial limitations might make you consider how much work can be displayed. Check out this video on the how-tos Gallery Walks. If students are creating infographics to display in a Gallery Walk, it might be best to pair up students if your class is a little in large in size, Whereas you might select a few student work examples to discuss proper punctuation. 

The Social Factor of Gallery Walks

Gallery walks provide students with social interactions that enhance their learning. Peers can learn from one another and support thinking and ideas. This Edtopia Article on Gallery Walks provides more information on their social aspects.  There are many types of Gallery Walks you can implement within your class and the ideas are really limitless. I hope you are encouraged to try out this active learning strategy at some capacity soon. 

References:

Gallery Walk - The Teacher Toolkit. (n.d.). Www.theteachertoolkit.com. https://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/gallery-walkv

How can you incorporate active learning into your classroom? (n.d.). https://crlt.umich.edu/sites/default/files/Active_Learning_Continuum_CRLT.pdf

Inspiring Inventiveness OpalSchool.org Gallery Walk Gallery Walk. (n.d.). https://pz.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Gallery-Walk.pdf

What is A Personal Learning Network?

 What is  Personal Learning Network (PLN)?

Image source: https://k3hamilton.com/ED/pln.html

PL…What? PLNs are Personal Learning Networks that take place on an online platform.  Many teachers are already part of PLCs or Professional Learning Communities.  PLCs usually occur at a specific time and meet in a school setting, at a professional development course, or even at a school board/committee meeting. PLNs are a little less formal, but a lot more accessible. Both types of Ps bring people together to gain resources, show support, and engage in collegiality. PLNs are often national or global and occur across all kinds of mediums, at all hours of the day.  PLNs offer more than just inspiration for lessons, they offer opportunities for collaboration. 

Building a Personal Learning Network

Benefits 

There are so many benefits to being part of a PLN.  Not only can you access information, ideas, and resources, and gain support at any time- global participation can enhance your teaching. There are a wealth of teachers that can provide a wealth of knowledge. PLNs have the potential to inspire, enrich, and create lasting relationships between professionals. 

Any good teacher will have reflective practices, which means they are always present in their teaching, reflective in their lessons, and cognizant of their assessments. Careful consideration in data-driven instruction, engagement of a lesson, presentation of information, differentiation, and formative or summative assessments can be supported within a PLN. The art of teaching is not for a solidary person. “Teaching can be isolating, and that isolation and lack of support can lead to burnout. PLNs help educators to escape isolation that can become part of the profession” (Poth, 2023). As challenges arise, a PLN can help a teachers gain the resources and support they need, no matter what time zone or geographic region. 

Opportunities for Professional Growth and Wealth Knowledge 

Harry Wong who is well-known in the field of education states  "Effective teachers can be defined with a single word," Wong told the convention crowd. "Effective teachers steal!" Teachers who beg, borrow, and steal good techniques are teachers whose students will achieve, he added, noting that he is "the biggest burglar in the education field"! (Hopkins, 2000) This concept dates back to 1991 from his publication “The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher.” PLNs are a network of teachers who do just that! The solid idea influences teachers today to seek out information and learn from one another. Within the teaching community, I have personally asked others to share this, or question how did you do that?  I do not have many teacher friends, so the concept of being part of a global network of teachers with ideas that they're willing to share, offer support to other teachers, and be a resource is invaluable. As many teachers are “life-long learners,” they most times are “life-long teachers,” too unfaltering over an opportunity to teach someone something. 

Build Your Network

PL… Please sign me up! There are so many benefits to working with other professionals in the field of education whether they are in your building, district, state, region, country, or hemisphere. PLNs can be found across social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, X- formally known as Twitter, Pinterest, Blogger, as well as podcasts, webinars, and online courses. Access is always available! Although being part of a community means engaging and participating within the community, do not feel like you need to do that right away. Scrolling can be just as beneficial to start. Get your feet wet. Ask yourself what you need and you may stumble across someone who may need you and your talent. Be part of the network and share, it is important to feel like an expert as well! Remember that joining a PLN doesn’t make you less of a teacher, it makes you a better teacher. Collaboration between teachers has the opportunity to improve teaching practices which benefits the student learning. Not a fan of social media? BetterLesson can help “improve the quality of your classroom instruction, ReadWriteThink is a literacy hub to increase reading engagement and Share My Lesson offers ready-to-go lesson plans in a pinch.  Hopefully within this PLN, it inspires you to try something new! 

Infographic

References:

Best Professional Development Websites and PLNs for Teachers | Common Sense Education. (n.d.). Www.commonsense.org. https://www.commonsense.org/education/lists/best-professional-development-websites-and-plns-for-teachers

Building Your Professional Learning Network. (n.d.). Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/professional-learning-networks-teachers/

Building a Professional Learning Network – Online Teaching Hub. (n.d.). https://onlineteachinghub.education.purdue.edu/building-a-professional-learning-network/

Harry Wong Addresses National Conference | Education World. (n.d.). Www.educationworld.com. https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr289.shtml

Personal Learning Networks. (2020). K3hamilton.com. https://k3hamilton.com/ED/pln.html

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Mapping My Digital Space

 What is digital space?

Digital space developed from a concept shared by Marc Prensky’s idea of Digital Native, Digital Immigrants. The theory lacks the idea of adaptation. Building off this idea emerged the concept of digital residents and visitors which refers to different “modes” of online engagement (David White, 2011). The engagement within these digital environments makes us think more of motivation-driven technology use. 

Image source: nicfair

Mapping My Digital Space

Am I surprised?

In reflecting on my digital space compared to those I have seen, I am not surprised by my lack of app representation. One thing that does surprise me overall is that time isn’t really a factor of digital mapping. What I find most interesting is the idea of being a digital resident, this idea of seeking out other people for information as a source is relatively new concept (White, 2011).  Aside from first-hand accounts, I would never be able to cite information learned from an individual in research paper twenty years ago. Residency requires interaction between community members through a social platform such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, etc. In the past few years taking courses has required me to comment on blog posts and post responses on Canvas. Before taking these courses, my interactions with people were usually in a more physical sense, communicating via text, email, and phone calls. Rarely do I interact online. I think I was mentioned as a “lurker,” in previous posts which sounds super creepy. I feel like my sense of gaining information usually comes from motivation but I rather tend to be research-based (.org) than a somewhat life hack approach (respectfully). As technology becomes more integrated within our daily lives, information has become more multimodal and has spanned across many mediums. When I think of how I used to find movie times growing up compared to the way I can find movie times now speaks volumes. You can very well find the information you are looking for through a social media outlet, everyone has one. My digital literacy skills vs the new ages of digital literacy skills have changed exponentially because the internet has become so much larger. 

Does my digital space status change?

My digital space status isn’t usually constant. Sometimes, I spend more time reading or researching on different apps depending on the task, goal, or mood. I have driven myself crazy trying to recall movie scenes, products, and have turned over every rock researching different appliances. Professionally, I remain constant in the apps usage when I access, down to the time window. What fuels my app status is the motivation and the task I need to accomplish.  

What are the apps you frequent most?

Both personally and professionally I spend a lot of time reading online. I like to catch up on the latest news and keep myself current with events happening around the world. I like to see what's trending on the internet, and I like my fair share of celebrity gossip.  I google a ton! I am as curious as they come. Things that interest me, motivate me to find out more information. This type of engagement spread me across app land, search engines, videos, articles, etc. I am driven by personal motivation. This statement directly correlated with the concept of digital visitors and residents. What fuels my motivation, determines my engagement. 

image source:

Silicon Valley International

Why is this important to educators?

In addition to teaching digital literacy and content areas, educators more than ever have to spark curiosity. Inquiry-based learning has grown over the years, the student should be the driver rather than dated teaching approaches.  Sources have become multi-modal across many mediums. Students need to navigate a little differently and a teachers responsibility is to help them to do just that. We are guiding the young to be information seekers and problem-solvers of the future. Adaptation is key as we have seen with the shift from “digital natives and digital immigrants” to digital residents and digital visitors.

Technology Impact

Technology Impact

Image source: Brittanica 

Background

For as many positive connections as technology has granted society, I have kept my distance for many reasons. I’d rather not share publicly about myself, my family, or my life. You may be shocked to know this whole course is completely out of my comfort zone. My personality tends to be more of a people pleaser and I wouldn’t want a post to be taken in a wrong way. I remember having Facebook and not wanting to be “friends” with people I wasn’t really friends with in real life and that brought on some feelings. There was no need for people I didn’t know or care for to be invited into a presentation of life. I also have very strong opinions about oversharing a child’s experience, but I will not go into true crime mode. I like the idea that you can connect with family members and friends who live far away. I also like that you can look your best and show your best work, but this isn’t a reality. However, I’m not one to partake in sharing openly on a public website due to many obvious reasons.

Technology Impact Opinion Video

 

 iPhone- My Phone

I will examine my relationship with my phone. I am on it way too much. I love to text and exchange pictures, videos, and a good meme with family and friends. I also catch up on messages that include emails (personal and work), team snap for the kids' stuff, class dojo, teacher ease, and remind. So much to juggle! I love to read the news and my curiosity drives me to google everything. My last search was “What foods cause arm fat?” If you really want to examine the kind of a person someone is, check their search history. I check the weather and love to read celebrity gossip. I love reading articles that interest me and reading through Canvas assignments. Even though social media isn’t my thing, As you can tell I do very well occupying myself with this pocket-sized device. 

Image source: digital trends 

I’m Fine

As many would suggest, this relationship is unhealthy due to the amount of time spent on it, but I disagree. I feel like what I accomplish on my phone is just that, an accomplishment. I work. But “Elizabeth,” you might say, “you just said you send your friends memes.” I would argue to say “Well picking the right meme tone for the right conversation is using my higher-order thinking skills.” I’m kidding. I don’t feel guilty about the time spent on my phone although I could be on it less, but I’m not scrolling through garbage or taking unsolicited advice, nor am I being conned into buying a life-changing product that I get trapped into a subscription. My phone is used for research as well. I clip coupons and order food. It’s a tool to me, not a boredom buster as some say. 

I can’t officially say it’s caused a strain on any relationships but perhaps if you ask my children they’d say different. When it comes to being distracted by my device, I can certainly be guilty of that. I think anyone who has a smart phone can testify that it is a huge part of their daily lives (my dad prefers the old school flip phone and is not in the least bit distracted by it).  I explained how important this hand held device has become in our day to day tasks. 

There was a comedian who was making a joke about his mother-in-law and how he trusts her with his most prized possessions, referring to his children, but wouldn't trust her for a second with his phone. I thought that was such a real life example about how sacred and personal our phones our to us.

Acquaintances on the Road to becoming Better Friends...

 Where I am… “Acquaintances, not yet friends”

Evaluating where a professional stands with technology can be a key factor in determining their ability to adapt to any workplace environment, thoroughly complete assignments or tasks, and collaborate efficiently with others. It is important for an educator to be reflective in their teaching practices to better their classroom learning. Since I personally tend to use technology to engage, enhance, and extend lessons I choose to reflect using the Triple E evaluation rubric. I also think it is a rubric that is more age-appropriate for the students I am teaching, other frameworks aren’t as applicable. 

Triple E Evaluation Rubric

There are a variety of ways I engage students to want to learn, discover, and connect to the learning goal or objective. Sometimes this is through videos, past examples from prior students' work, inquiry-based approaches, cooperative groups, etc. 

Of the categories within the rubric, I can see the value of technology, however, I struggle to keep a few students focused on the task at hand behind their Chromebooks. I sometimes catch students with several tabs opened that aren’t necessarily valuable to the content we are working on. I do believe the multi-tasking and scroll era has impacted the attention spans of children and adults especially while working online. I do fall short in having students collaborate within a platform because it hasn’t yet been applicable. Edutopia had a great article offering suggestions. 

Supporting Student Engagement with Technology

I have used technology to enhance curricular lessons, and I love incorporating Mystery Science to support what we are learning. There are plenty of websites that offer support and extensions of content such as Khan Academy, National Geographic, Brain Pop, Freckle, Raz Kids, Flocabulary, and the list goes on. 

The groundwork for incorporating any technology is fostering digital citizenship and digital literacy which is a crucial foundation in students being able to responsibly use technology.  Students need to tap into their critical thinking skills when exploring online, even when it is guided by a teacher. 

image source: personal

I think in reflecting on my own practices, I feel the need to foster digital learning while meeting rigorous standards. This has added a layer to my teaching within the last few years, I think the pandemic has certainly increased the speed at which technology needs to be integrated into learning, however, I have encouraged students to show what they know using some 21st-century approved platforms:

Canva

Powtoons

ClipChamp

iMovie

Adobe 

WeVideo

Stop Motion Studio

Where I want to be…

We are often told we are “building a plane while flying it,” and “preparing students for jobs that do not exist yet” are two ways to define the role of an educator today. The reason I stick to more of a Triple-E approach is because I feel with technology moving at such a rapid pace and students spending so much time on their devices outside of school it caters to their learning while still having a traditional approach. 

As an educator I want to utilize technology to the fullest extent to develop engaging lessons, foster inquiry, and most of all prepare students with the skills needed to adapt in the future. 

In reflecting on the rubric, I can give more explicit directions and tell students what is okay and what is not okay while working on the Chromebooks. Setting clearer expectations and really zoning in on the task or activity can help some of the drifters in my classroom keep focused.

As much as I want to incorporate technology, I do feel guilt if students are on their devices too much even when purposeful. The weekly Friday afternoon announcement always says “Stay off those devices!”, yet we provide them for the students. As a parent, I try not to let my children spend their time in sedentary behavior mode. As an educator/parent I want to provide a good balance of technology, but keep students and my own children safe from the many dangers on the internet. It is important to me to teach, guide, and have thoughtful explicit lessons with the age group I am currently working with.